Starfish Questions?

[Spartan713]

Currently really looking to introduce a starfish to my aquarium, was looking at some brittle starfish or sand sifter but I have a small pistol shrimp that has paired very well with a spotted watchman goby, and I really don't want the starfish to kill the pistol shrimp. will the sand sifter kill the pistol shrimp?

 

[Spartan713]

it's a 40-gallon tank

 

[griss]

I’ve never kept sand sifting stars. But, if you want a reef safe star, what about one of these.

Common Starfish

Common starfish, Echinaster sentus, are the classic starfish that most people think of when you mention starfish, mostly because that’s what you see dried out in shell shops and in the little epoxy trinkets that say “Welcome to Florida”. I included two starfish in the picture to give you an idea...

www.kpaquatics.com

 

[reefing102]

I don’t think you’ll have an issue with a sandsifter killing the pistol. If anything I could see the opposite of the pistol shrimp snapping it when it gets to close to the burrow. No surefire experience but just a guess.

 

[shred5]

Sand sifting starts may disrupt the pistol shrimp since they move the sand.
Sand sifting stars require a large sanded or they starve and I doubt yours is big enough.



Most ornamental stars are pretty short lived in the reef aquarium for most people.
Reef safe varieties are Fromia and linckia. Fromia stars usually are a little smaller which is nice. These stars are in my opinion left for the more advanced. They are touchy and melt pretty easy.


The ones that survive the best are brittle and serpent stars. Serpent stars can catch fish. Brittle stars are a safer choice but they too can when large but rarer..
Micro brittle stars survive real well too and multiply.

Asterinas are another that survive and can multiply. Some are predator's of coral while others are just fine. I believe we just lump a bunch of starfish that are similar shape and size together and they are actually different species in reality.